This story seems to originate in the Phoenix area with a report of vets being denied prompt care at the local VA hospital. In the story here a 71yr old vet dies without ever receiving medical care for cancer.
There’s the question: why did this vet, and others, allow their illness to go untreated?
Phoenix might be in flyover country, but it’s not a third-world country without modern hospitals and qualified medical personnel. The 71yr old could have sought medical care anywhere in Phoenix, and assuming he’s covered by Medicare, it would have been at little or no cost to him.
So why did this vet just wait for the VA; why didn’t he, and the others who reportedly had died, seek medical care elsewhere for their serious health issues?
There’s obviously a lot of background for this story that hasn’t come to light yet.

Are VA hospitals run like regular military hospitals? If so, why not issue “nonavailability” papers to those patients stuck in their backlog? Then they can go to civilian doctors/hospitals for proper care and the govt pays for it.

The 71 year old is probably from the Vietnam era of veterans which my husband is a part of. He’s seen a lot of horror stories coming from the VA’s over the years, and several Presidents can’t seem to clean up that mess. Maybe it’s time to shut down the VA system and let the local hospitals care for the veterans? It might just save us money and lives.

I think the system works differently for those who retired from the military, we are fortunate to be able to use civilian medical.

One of the problems, according to a relative who is the administrator at one of the largest Veteran’s hospitals in the country, is the staff. They are required to hire Vets to staff various depts. Unfortunately, many of the vets have suffered tremendous war-related injuries and are unable to find work in the private sector. Many are suffering from PTSD and other psychological problems. Their work is shoddy, patient’s files often end up hidden away in desk drawers, and worse yet – some never receive their required treatment.
All of this has been brought to the attention of higher-ups, but it is being covered up. Hopefully, this will all change now that the scandal has been exposed in AZ and elsewhere.

That’s true, the system has been overloaded with young vets fresh from the Iraq/Afghanistan wars and I don’t think their funding has increased since Obama took over. He’s too busy throwing money at Obamacare and his green bundler buddies’ businesses. #Fail.

Good questions srdem. I don’t think there’s one answer that fits all; but it’s not a matter of why the vets didn’t seek care elsewhere, but why they were denied care – period. I can only share a personal story. My grandfather, who served in WWI, fell while taking a walk one day. He was well into his 90’s at the time, rather healthy for his age but the fall affected rational thinking. He lived within spitting distance of Presbyterian Hospital in NYC and he could have used their facilities as well as a VA hospital in his final years. He became adamant about recovery in a VA hospital and insisted that was where he wanted to be. Of course, the VA hospital was in Queens – a distance, but my grandmother complied with his wishes. There is no happy ending to the story. He passed away at the VA and I don’t know at 94, if the outcome would have been different elsewhere.

I agree–go to the ER and sort it out later. It’s what I do. It’s what people complain about undoc people doing–ERs make money from people who go there–even undoc. So i f you feel crappy or like uh-oh, this could be the end, and can’t see your doc–go!

Also–I can’t figure out what this so-called “secret waiting list” is–people too far gone to bother with, people who can wait? Is it some form of triage. I am not sure I am down with the idea that the system is hampered by vets with disabilities on staff. First I heard on that.

I don’t care for Karl Rove when he comes after conservatives but I have no problem when he turns the political knife on the opposition. Me. Hypocrite. That said, he has a point in that all presidential candidates (except perhaps our special grifter with no paper trail) have to go through a medical process.

Moreover, what Rove said is no worse than what any Democrat has said about various other candidates. Except of course we are talking about Saint Hillary. But it beats good ole Jeb and Paul Ryan focusing on poverty and the terrible plight of illegals looking for love.

Watched a History Ch special about LBJ and the war. Seems like
his distaste of Bobby Kennedy was strong. But after he had his
come to Jesus moment Vietnam he tripped over himself to gain
the use of him the Kennedy name.

I don’t trust Rove at all and other Republicans should let that remark go by. He’s consiglieri to the Bush family who, in turn, have said that the Clintons are like family. Jeb even gave Shrillary some so-called freedom award.

Three possible devious motives I can envision are that they’d like one of the conservatives to make a faux pas on Hillary, they’d like to help her get out of testifying before Gowdy’s committee, or they don’t see Jeb winning the nomination so would rather see a Clinton (as would Wall Street) in the WH than a conservative. If the conservatives took up his cue, they’d end up creating sympathy for her. No, going after her on Benghazi, Boko Haram and who knows what else she has in her closet is the way to go.

Well now isn’t this special. I guess the United States is helping Ukraine after all. All those people fighting against Russian over reach will be comforted by the news that Joe Biden’s son has joined the Board of Ukraine largest Gas Producer. Nice to see also that little Vicky Nuland, of Benghazi fame until her promotion out of it– her husband lobbies for Cargill and other ag businesses with interest in Ukraine.

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